Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-18
MAYOR BROATCH'S INAUGURAL
The First Mayor of the Metropolitan City
Outlines His Policy.
NAMING THE CITYS OFFICIALS.
Webster Confirmed-H. j. Davis APP
pointed Assistant Attorney
Meaney Retired-The New
Board OF Public Works.
The Council.

CITY council was nelu laSu evening Wllu
all of the members present. The large
audience room of the new council cham
ber was crowded with spectators long
before the meeting Inside the railing
that is designed to protect the outsiders
from the municipal fathers, were gathered
the counclmen and ex-counclmen,
Mayor Broatch the city attorney, city
engineer, city marshal. Chairman House
of the board of public works and Mike
Meaney were conspicuous. EX- Mayor
Boyd was in attendance.
AT $50 o'clock President Bechel called
the council to order and after roll call
announced message from the mayor.
MAYOR BROATCH'S INAUGURAL.
Mayor Broatch, who occupied a chair
at the city engineers desk, stepued for
ward and read his message to the coun-
cll, as follows:
10 the Honorable, the City Council of the
City of Omaha:
Gen:lemen-In this, my first message to
your honorable body, the few suggestions
which have to offer will be made from
purely business standpoint. In entering
upon my duties and taking up the mantle
which my predecessor has laid aside, l re-
alize the difficulties which have to encoun-
ter as the chief executive officer of rapidly
growing and prosperous city, and appreciate
the fact that, great as they have been In the
past, they must necessarily be greater in the
future. pray that my administration of the
trust repOsed in me, may be such as to en-
title me-. at its close, to the commentator OF
human l am not infallable. 1 may make
mistakes, and making them invite criticism,
this Is one of the penalties of Office / pro-
pose to execute the laws and your wishes
as expressed in your ordinances, in
q spirit OF conservatism and justice.
Some of the ordinances have not been prop
erly enforced, and in some respects no at
tempt has been made at even decent com
discriminating, l ask you to repeal them; if,
however, they are proper, 1t Is plainly my
duty to see that they are observed. The re-
sponsiblity is divided one; it rests equally
From the first time in the history of our
state, the machinery Of a METROPOLITAN city is
to be put in motion. and grave responsible.
ity rests upon you as the representatives of
of this city. 1t shall be my earnest endeavor
to faithfully consider the interests of the
city, and to aid you in maintaining good
government
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
Public Improvement should not be al lowed
to law but should be carried forward with
caution, within lawful limits, and in such a
manner as to secure permanency and salts
faction. Unuer the provisions of the new
charter, the power is now given to the mayor
and council to require water gas and sewer
connections to be made from the street mains
to the inside of the curb line, in all paving
districts, before the work of paving is done
therein This is an important addition to
the powers of the mayor and council,
and one that should be both carefully
considered and exercised before entering
upon any, work of paving. It's not only a
serious Disagreement, but permanent in
jury to our pavements to have them cut into
and torn up for water, sewer and gas con-
nections immediately after being laid, as
has been the constant practice in this city
pavements and annoyance to travel can be
largely if not entirely Obvated by first con-
sidering the points at which curb line con-
nectiops should be made and then requiring
them to he so made before laying down the
pavement. Another change in the manner
of ordering public improvement which should
be observed is that ordering an appraisment
of the damages, If any, which may result
from grading before entering upon such
work. Hereafter, before any street is Or
dered graded, appraisers should be ap-
pointed, and the damages resulting from
such grading should be determined.
SEWERAGE.
The work of sewerage, which so vitality
affects the health and comfort Of our citizens,
should receive the most careful consideration,
and in prosecuting this work it should bo
are are building for a city soon to
reach several hundred thousand inhabitants.
All mains and pipe lines should be con-
structed OF sufficient size to answer for the
future as well as for the present time.
UNIFORM SIDEWALKS.
AS the city Is now metropolitan in charac-
ter, as well as in name, the sidewalks in the
business and central portion of the city
should hereafter be required to be con-
structed of permanent material, and should
be uniform in width and elevation so as to be
in keeping with our pavements and other
improvements.
AVOID ovERLAPs.
m a a
ments, in providing funds for the maintain
ence of the police and fire departments and
for the payment OF the officials of other de-
partments of the city government, care
ceases to exist there shall be no overlap. l
have but to call your attention to the fact
that our bondsmen are responsible with us,
for any expenditure exceeding lawful limit
POLICE.
We are about to organize a metropolitan
police. The present force numbers but
thirty-siX men, a force, no matter how well
disposed, entirely Inadequate to afford the
protection our city requires. Kansas City,
with an estimated population of 10000 i'll
haDitants has at present l07 men, and it is
about to add thirty more 10 its police force.
We should have at least, q force of seventy
five men, which can be added to as the neces-
sity arises. AS the city has extended its
limits, embracing twenty-f0ur square miles,
there should be several police stations where
an adequate force can be kept to maintain
order and preserve peace.
The audience listened to the reading
of the message with marked attention
and accepted it in silence. After the
hearing of number of petitions, the
question of
CONFIRMING THE CITY ATTORNEY
was brought up by Mr.. Hascall, who
moved that the mayors appointment OF
John l.. Webster be confirmed. Mr.. Lee
SAID that the matter had been referred
to the committee on judiciary ut the last
meeting, and as that committee had not
been appointed at that time, he moved
that the appointment be now referred to
that committee. Mr.. Hascall claimed
that the matter had only been laid over
for one week and was now properly be.
fore the council. Mr.. Lees motion to
refer was lost. The question then re
Cured upon the confirmation of Mr.
Webster. This was carried, Lee, Lowry
Kitchen and Bechel voting in the mega
tive. The result of the vote started q
demonstration of applause in the audi
ence, which was promptly checked by
the chairman.
OTHER APPOINTMENTS.
Mayor Broatch then presented the fol
lowing appointments:
For city engineer, Il. w. Tillson.
For assistant city attorney,H. j. Davis
For street commits ssioner, Josiah Kent
For INSPECTOR of buildings George G.